How do u talk to your doctor regarding pain meds correctly? I have RA, neuropathy(severe) and?

... osteoarthritis among a few but I feel like a criminal any time I need to have that "this isn't getting it" talk at the doctor s visit. Ps : I've never abused them, never been one to ask for much but I have to now- I take 10mg Oxy 3 x day and still hurting, is this unusual?

Responses (4)

No, it isn't, however, RAologists don't like to dispense narcotics at all. If you are relatively young, they will treat you like a junkie until you prove otherwise. I wish I could say my experiences were better than yours but it is not the case. My dad and I have the same disease and he is 77 and his RAologist will not give him pain meds. He has to go to his GP for them and they are the lowest form of narcotic available. He is 77 years old, what do they think he is going to do??? He still has to pee in the cup to prove he is taking them, my father served this country with honor and this is how he is treated in his retirement. Forgive me, but it gets old. Find a Dr who knows you, if you can. I was lucky, my GP has known me years before I got sick!

I am surprised you were started out with the Oxy stuff, I couldn't get that if I were officially crippled!!! But then my treatments are working so my need is way less! I also don't have the Neuropathy issues, I am so sorry. If I had a magic wand we would all meet for a BBQ and dance all night long!!Good Luck!!! Forgive me for ranting.

Amen on the wand and dancing! Oh, but it took years of testing and Tramadol, everything well-known to man I tried it! I go to UNC, have for years, many residents but they saved my life for sure a few years ago..

The neuropathy is more painful than the RA or osteoarthritis- more intense. Yes I got a triple punch. Sorry about your dad, that's stupid to put him through that mess and I know that mess for sure. Good luck, talk to you later.

Craven,You did not mention how long you have been on the dosage you are taking now. But if you have been on this dosage for a few years it is Very common that you build up a tolerance for the dosage you are on.

I am not sure what type of Dr. prescribed this to you.But I would recommend if you are not seeing a Pain Management Specialist as they will be able to monitor your pain with higher doses & other methods.So off you are not seeing a Pain specialist you might mention to your Dr. that your pain has become worse & you are having problems managing your pain & see if they can refer you to a specialist.That way you are not out right asking for more medication.. Just that you need help because the pain is too much.If this is a dr. you have been seeing for awhile you can just mention that you are having problems managing your pain & ask what options might be available to help you.Best of luck, Kathy

I did go to a UNC pain doc and he was horrible,, my other docs even agreed so my rheumatologist prescribed it, I've been on this for about 2 yrs . Any suggestions on a better rx to try? Maybe a patch combo- I need advice on what to suggest badly.

My pain manager said that the higher the narcotic the worse it is for pain management in the long term. Apparently, a side effect is that we become even more pain intolerant, not just our bodies needing more of the drug, but our pain tolerance will get lower and lower. I weaned myself off the fetynal patch, it wasn't hard because I had had a side effect that became intolerable anyway. Anyway, that is why they had such amazing views on pain management. A lot of hippie woo woo stuff, but some really amazing insights too! I am just sorry they were run out of business!

Craven,Unfortunately there are Ton of Pain Management Clinics that are NOT GOOD.. But you might try another one as there are also Good ones out there also. My concern is that usually most Drs. That are not pain management drs. Are Not allowed to prescribe Stronger pain medications than what you are on now. As the DEA has tightened & scared alot of Drs. into where there physicians license can be pulled & can no longer practice.

As far as a stronger medication goes they can prescribe you a pain patch like Fentanyl that you change every three hours. These are nice because they release a constant even dose of medication .There are several other Opiate's that they can prescribe. I would ask for a "EXTENDED RELEASE"(ER) medication as you take it every 12 hours & you do not get the break through pain.The Extended Release Opiate I have taken for about 8 yrs is called Opana ER & it is the best that I have ever used. But as you know medications work differently on every person.

Kathy is very, very correct, there are many pain clinics that are bad, unacceptable and horrible, just don't give up. Fetynal patches are changed every 3 days, not hours. It can be very liberating, I felt "normal" for the 1st time in years. I am lucky though that I am no longer in desparate need for the patch, I weaned off of it. I would think that with the level of narcotic you are already on, the patch may be the best bet for you.Just keep on trying.

Kathy, I am so sorry, I do the same thing!! Can you imagine having to change the patch every 3 hours!!! What a nightmare that would be!!! I tried to correct it without being snotty... I am not always successful. If it is really Dementia you are remarkably well, my dear!!

Srand,Unfortunately I have Vascular Dementia & have had 7 mini strokes which has damaged my short term memory & damaged my coordination & caused alot of pain & disibility on my left side. But they have me on the Alzheimer's Exelon patch that I change everyday.Which works pretty well as long as I remember to put a new one on each day, Lol... The days I forget are Really bad & you would think they would make a Alzheimer patch that you didn't have to Remember Everyday, ha, ha.. Obviously who ever came up with that Did Not have Alzheimer..

But I was on the Fentanyl patch about 9 yrs ago & yes changing it every 3 hrs would be a pain..The Fentanyl was not strong enough for my pain so I take Opana ER which work much better.Have a great day, kathy

How cruel!!! Did you fit the "profile" of a junkie? That is their excuse for everything, using the non-existent profiling... because all good people say that there is no such thing as profiling... we used to call it stereotype.

I've heard it but never tried it myself_ about ready too though! Oh and what does a junkie really look like?? I'm 51, no early refills,, been going to UNC for 10 yrs while they did every test to finally send me to my rheumatologist who it me on Prednisone finally. That helps but doesn't do anything for this horrible neuropathy.

I'm 71, have sun damage from living outdoors in the Southwest. I wear cargo pants filled with screws, nails, money, a Canadian wood thickness hook that I use to assess used wood at a salvage yard, dog snacks, cell phone, and knife.I wear real gemstones in in gold earrings. I have a long-pony tail, blue eyes, and a smile.

I was talking on the cell phone, while jogging with my hounds on a smooth sidewalk. The tip of my toe caught the edge of a crack and I went down on the palm of my right hand with a straight arm. It took 3 X-Ray techs almost 2 hours to do the X-Rays, because I couldn't raise or lower my arm, bend my elbow, flap my hand, turn my arm over-and it swelled up too. On a scale of 1-10-I was at 9 at the ER, and 12 a few days later. The sling actually made it worse. I couldn't find anyway to adjust it-as the sling wanted to pull my arm into my body--Have any of you tried to sleep with your arm sticking almost straight up in the air? Today I went into the ER-I have skin cancer on my face--- I had a reaction to sun block- It penetrated the tissues and even made my nose bleed just a little and my nose swelled up and turned bright red. Hurts like the 4th week of radiation too. I can't buy a break---

Oxy may provide some relief for R.A but it is not great for neuropathic pain except in higher doses. Neuropathic pain is difficult to treat, the pain signals don't follow the normal pathway that nociceptors that respond to opioids work for. Has anyone suggested Endep (amitriptyline hydrochloride) which has been shown to work, as well as SNRI's, both are types of anti-depressants. You could point out to your GP you are willing to try the other forms of pain relief, which take a while to start working, but could you increase your Oxy from ten to 15mg x 3 in the mean time. I know what you mean about feeling like a criminal asking for them. Mention that to the doctor. The widespread abuse of them has made it hard on pain sufferers, and the authorities have made it hard on doctors to prescribe them.

Perhaps if you sympathise with the doctor, and let him know the predicament he or she is in (studies show female doctors are less likely to prescribe narcotics than male doctors; interesting, huh?) but your quality of life is really going down hill. It would be wonderful if the non-narcotic meds worked, wouldn't it? Another med for RA is methotrexate; very powerful, but has a side effect profile that means it's not for everyone. Good luck; my Aunt has RA, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

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